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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 255 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by noni15 on 4/24/2024 & rated 94 points: Much better wine now than the bottle I opened in 2022. Still room to improve but right now is amaizing a very well structured. (1669 views) | | | Tasted by Mattshank on 4/24/2024 flawed bottle: 2 hour decant (mag decanter). Well this was disappointing given how great the last bottle was on 9/22. While not corked nor any evidence of brett this was devoid of fruit for the most part and overly acid driven. No score given. (1600 views) | | | Tasted by gmbdds on 4/10/2024 & rated 92 points: Cool blue fruited with subtle spice and tea notes. Nicely integrated with fresh acidic backbone. California with a hint of Italy. (2650 views) | | | Tasted by ralaspech on 3/3/2024 & rated 91 points: I enjoyed this better after it had been open a while--it took a minute (as the young people say) for the fruit to come forward. Excellent balance once it opened up. Good match for burgers on the grill. (2483 views) | | | Tasted by JCGuthrie on 2/8/2024: Tasted right out of the bottle and then consumed about an hour later. On first taste this showed dark fruit and good length, but it was hard to focus on anything other than the oak, which completely overwhelmed. An hour later it showed much better, with more discernible dark berry notes and dried herbs. Definitely recommend giving this some air. (3870 views) | | | Tasted by FamousWine on 2/4/2024: The 2018 Lytton Springs is 72% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah, 8% Carignan, 2% Mataro (aka Mourvèdre) brought up for 14 months in 10% new American oak. Harvest took place between 4th September and 18th October. 14.5% ABV. It spent an hour in the carafe then was paired with homemade burgers. The nose is captivating (quite sensational, I can even say) and perfectly open, with perfumes of blackberries and red plums mingled with blood orange, violet, a few rose petals, a hint of black pepper and very, very subtle wood. At the first sip, we look at each other: “Wow! That's great!”. Palate starts discreetly, then a wave of juicy, fleshy layers surges into the mouth. It's medium-bodied, with a silky mouthfeel, and it finishes long, long with loads of juicy, slightly peppery fruits and a bit of coffee. This is a wine that combines richness, intense tastes and crazy elegance. It's definitely ready to go now (remember to aerate it for 1 to 1.5 hours if you uncork these days) but I guess it'll climb an additional step with more time in the cellar.
[Photo on Instagram] (4273 views) | | | Tasted by stokeme on 2/4/2024 & rated 93 points: Evolving very well. Complex, ripe zinberry, deep petite sirah, savory carignane, all combine into a sauvage blend. Perfumed & concentrated.
Really speaks of vineyard & age. I’ll pop #4 in 2 yrs & expect #5 to easily make 10 yrs gracefully. Glad I have 2, wish I had a couple more to enjoy.
Great structure & light sandpaper tannins balance really flavorful fruit. 3 of 5
Epitome of the timeless Ridge Claret style which has endured for 60yrs. (3847 views) | | | Tasted by cjsadler on 1/30/2024 & rated 92 points: Drinking well right now. (4117 views) | | | Tasted by pas.vino on 1/14/2024 & rated 92 points: Excellent! Aging beautifully. Complex, smooth , elegant. (4276 views) | | | Tasted by goodvitis.com on 1/3/2024 & rated 93 points: More advanced than I expected. Nose features blackberry, boysenberry, black plum, anise seed, cardamom, and molasses. Full bodied, thick and slightly sweet smooth tannin works well with glossy acid. While substantive it’s not cloying, delivering a slightly gritty mouthfeel. Flavors include blackberry, spiced plum, sweet black licorice, black pepper, cinnamon, and black tea extract. It’s really accessible now with a 30 minute decant. I have a second bottle that I’m going sit on for a few years to see what happens. (4185 views) | | | Tasted by jpcart on 12/25/2023 & rated 90 points: Drinking well right now with an hour in the bottle. Well done zin, not overly ripe. (3342 views) | | | Tasted by NostraBacchus on 11/25/2023 & rated 95 points: From magnum bottle. This is showing the best on day 3. Notes of ripe dark cherries, some red plum, sweet spices, graphite, some tobacco leaf, smoke and also flowery notes as well as some savory spices. It‘s full-bodied, dense and structured, with medium-full body, excellent persistence, mediu-high acidity and some medium-high tannin that is excellent quality but present. This will need a few years to open up, but a great Lytton Springs in the making. There is so much depth and complexity here. (4376 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 11/23/2023 & rated 94 points: From MAG. A very well balanced package, carries its ripe fruit well with good structure and freshness. Medium+ complex finish. (4037 views) | | | Tasted by belfast taxman on 10/30/2023 & rated 87 points: Zinfandel - has never really been my cup of tea. Still on the young and vibrant side. Plummy fruit to the fore, one might almost call it opulent. If you like a tannic structure to your wine, I doubt this is for you. To me it lacked complexity but I have comparatively little experience of the variety (4808 views) | | | Tasted by RichEB1 on 9/23/2023 & rated 88 points: Tasty but still super young. Blue brambly fruit but it's still not fully integrated yet, with a distinct savory note prominent on the finish. Give her time! (4851 views) | | | Tasted by RKcellar on 9/17/2023 & rated 92 points: beautiful wine, feeling very much like a Bordeaux blend. complex and intense with firm tannin, thinking this would be even better with more time. (4777 views) | | | Tasted by redz on 9/5/2023 & rated 90 points: Restrained, not a lot of fruit. (4755 views) | | | Tasted by wmccone54 on 9/4/2023 & rated 91 points: At five years, this wine is in a great place and very food friendly. Enjoyed with mesquite smoked chicken, potato salad and coleslaw. The 14.5% alcohol was very noticeable, but definitely mitigated by the food. Aromas and flavors display a plethora of very ripe red, almost jammy fruits: juicy plums, ripe cherries, crushed raspberries, week old strawberries, black peppery notes, mixed green herbs, wet forest floor, and iron enriched earth. Seamless structure. Medium plus finish. I found this to be much more enjoyable with the food than without. Drink now, unlikely to improve with further aging, or drink through 2028. (4472 views) | | | Tasted by HeavyPourWine on 8/27/2023 & rated 93 points: Sunday night dinner in Marietta (Sommelier Guild of Atlanta) (Marietta, GA): Very nice lighter bodied red. Paired with brunswick stew (4495 views) | | | Tasted by t_moderne on 8/15/2023 & rated 92 points: Opened, poured into a decanter and enjoyed. Saved half under Vacuvin and refrigeration. Tasted the following day.
Gabriel Glas stem.
Dark purple color.
Nose offers purple flower fruits (violets and some lavender?) along with dark fruits, licorice and hint of oak.
Nice full bodied wine, with dark fruit and a spice element. Sufficient acidity to keep it lively. he floral note weaves through on the back end.
Enjoyable.
Quality cork; branded with vintage. (4264 views) | | | Tasted by Goofienewfy on 7/23/2023 & rated 93 points: This wine never disappoints. A blend of mostly Zinfandel you get a lot from this bottle. Lots of dark fruit, some cedar wood, some spice and earthy tones. Taste is bold yet balanced. Love it. (4318 views) | | | Tasted by Winowhyno on 7/9/2023 & rated 90 points: solid as usual...really like Ridge products (4355 views) | | | Tasted by Giller63 on 6/21/2023 & rated 92 points: Been nearly two years since my last one, and believe it has improved considerably. Pulled from cellar at 65 degrees, and PnP'd first glass. Did not take detailed notes, but first glass was very enjoyable and it got better over the next four hours. Fruit and tannins in good balance, this is drinking nicely right now. (4530 views) | | | Tasted by Stampeder on 4/25/2023 & rated 89 points: Solid wine. This qualifies as a Zin, but with the 28% blend of other wines, the taste and flavor profile changes. No big, jammy Zin. This is more nuanced and light. (5258 views) | | | Tasted by nehpets99 on 4/22/2023 & rated 91 points: Great fruit flavor from the zin but restrained, balanced, and refined. (5072 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Ridge Producer website | Wikipedia
Ridge Vineyards is a California winery specializing in premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay wines. Ridge produces wine at two winery locations in northern California. The original winery facilities are located at an elevation of 2,300 feet (700 m) on Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA near Cupertino, California. The other Ridge winery facilities are at Lytton Springs in the Dry Creek Valley AVA of Sonoma County.2018 Ridge Lytton Springs“72% Zin, 18% P.S., 8% Carignane, & 2% Mataro (Mourvedre), harvested 9/4 – 10/18/18 @ 24.1° ave Brix; Full crush; 100% natural primary & secondary; pressed at nine days. Aged 14 mos in 100% air-dried, AM oak barrels (10% new, 25% one year-old, 15% two year-old, 15% four years-old, & 20% five years-old).”
96 pts ea Vinous (Galloni, 9/20/20) & WA (Brooks, 2/’21),
95 winereviewonline.com (Apstein, 10/27/20),
94 WE & “Cellar Selection” (Gordon, 3/1/21) @ $45
93 zinfandelchronicles.com (8/2/20),
92 Dunnuck (8/29/20),
91 Connoisseurs’ Guide (1/’21), &
“Outstanding Plus/Extraordinary” Underground Wine Letter (8/’20)!
Ridge Lytton SpringsHistory
In 1972, Ridge made its first Lytton Springs from vines planted on the eastern half of the vineyard at the turn of the century, and purchased both the eastern and western portions of the vineyard in the early 1990s, (In the 1870s, under "Captain" William Litton's ownership, the two were part of one property; spelling evolved into "Lytton" by 1903.) The vineyard is planted to zinfandel and its principal complementary varietals.
Vineyard
First Ridge Lytton Springs®: 1972
Location: The bench and hills separating Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, just north of Healdsburg, Sonoma County.
Elevation: 80' - 160'
Soils: Varied, with a predominance of gravelly clay; gravelly clay loam on hillsides.
Age of Vines: Lytton East: zinfandel, petite sirah, grenache and carignane planted 1901 (32 acres) and 1910 (11 acres); zinfandel and petite sirah, planted 1997-1998 (5 acres), Lytton West: zinfandel, petite sirah, carignane, grenache re-planted 1953-1968 (26 acres); zinfandel and petite sirah, planted 1980's (2.5 acres); zinfandel and petite sirah planted in 1990's (42.8 acres); zinfandel, limited petite sirah, limited carignane, in 2000's (60 acres).
Training: Head trained (no trellis), spur pruned.
Climate: Fog in a.m., warm sunny afternoons, breezes in late p.m.
Exposure: Southeasterly
Yields: 1.5 to 3.0 tons per acre
©Ridge Vineyards
In the heart of Dry Creek Valley, home to 100 year old Zinfandel vines, co-planted (as was the norm) with small amounts of Petite Sirah, Carignane, Grenache and Mourvedre, Lytton Springs is Ridge’s Sonoma HQ. This is ideal Zinfandel country and produces wines that are spectacular both young and with age.Lytton SpringsThe bench and hills separating Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, just north of Healdsburg, Sonoma County.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyDry Creek Valley Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley | Dry Creek Valley Association | Appellation America | San Francisco Chronicle Article |
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